At Princeton High School prom, breath test for alcohol use is part of growing trend

Martin Griff / The TimesPrinceton High School in Princeton Borough on Wednesday April 13, 2011.

Their cheeks streaked with mascara, the girls in prom dresses stuck out their arms for blood tests.

This scene played out at a Raritan Township hospital six years ago after North Hunterdon High School’s prom, where 13 students were ousted from the dance on suspicion of drinking, though only a handful tested positive for alcohol.

North Hunterdon didn’t employ breath testing at its prom then. It has ever since, part of a trend that is becoming increasingly common at New Jersey schools.

Princeton High is the latest Mercer County school to implement a breath-test policy.
Before its “Candyland”-themed prom tonight, licensed administrators will administer breath tests to every student, Superintendent Judy Wilson said.

“It’s about protecting all pupils and ensuring the safety of all individuals at events,” Wilson said.

The policy, which also allows for testing during school hours, comes on the heels of a spate of recent drinking incidents at PHS social events.

Princeton canceled its homecoming dance this fall in the wake of alcohol incidents, holding a bonfire instead, said student council president Katharina Gebert, who supports the new policy.

“In the past, I don’t think students have really understood that the administration was serious about their policies,” Gebert said. “I think it will be a wake-up call.”

Student reaction has been mixed, with the majority of students opposing the policy, Gebert said.

“Some are upset because it means they can’t come to prom intoxicated. Others are upset that everyone is being tested,” Gebert said. “My take on that is they have to test everyone to really make it fair.”

Several area school districts have alcohol testing policies in place, including West Windsor-Plainsboro and East Windsor, and administrators say the policies are an effective deterrent for would-be drinkers.

Both districts have reported no alcohol incidents since the policies were put into effect.

“I think it’s a great idea,” West Windsor juvenile detective Marylouise Dranchak said. “It absolutely deters them. They know if they get caught — and it’s easy to get caught — they won’t be let into prom.”

Although no alcohol incidents plagued West Windsor’s prom this year, several students were busted for drug use, Dranchak said.

Experts dismiss the notion that students will turn to drugs if they feel they’ll be caught for alcohol use.

“I don’t think closing out routes to one necessarily leads to another,” said John Hulick, executive director of the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

Hulick supports breath-test policies, but believes a more comprehensive approach must be in place at schools to combat alcohol abuse around prom and graduation.

“Those are the high-risk times of the year,” Hulick said. “I hate to see Breathalyzers operate in isolation.”

At Princeton and other high schools such as Montgomery, a mock car crash takes place every year before prom to illustrate the dangers of drinking and driving.

East Windsor passed its breath-test policy after several students drove under the influence to a Valentine’s Day dance four years ago, Hightstown High School Principal Alix Arvizu said.